Plans for a new police headquarters near Leeds United's Elland Road ground have failed to arrest city councillors.

West Yorkshire Police aims to build a new divisional headquarters for South Leeds at the former greyhound stadium site off Elland Road.

The plans include three and four-storey offices, a custody suite, multi-storey car parking for more than 400 vehicles and a secure yard area.

The proposed site is currently used by Leeds United fans as a car park on matchdays.

But councillors on yesterday's plans panel east said they were concerned at the loss of car parking and the scale the impact of the new headquarters on surrounding properties.

Severe impact on residents

Councillor David Congreve, while supporting the principle of the development, said: "If we lose all the car parking space on that site it's going to have a severe impact on residents on matchdays - there's not enough as it is.

"Even now the streets of Beeston and Holbeck are overflowing with fans parking, it is the bane of residents' lives."

Highways officers said parking ratios for the stadium indicated that there only needed to be 2,750 spaces, and there were currently more than 4,000.

"That is ridiculous," countered Congreve. "Ward members have never accepted that figure and never will. We want nothing less than the existing 4,000 spaces."

It was suggested some space could be used on matchdays in the proposed multi-storey car park, but some councillors suggested that was unlikely on security grounds.

Where will cars park?

Neil Taggart added: "The principle of this development would ordinarily have been fine, but the issue here is Leeds United and the people of Beeston and Holbeck having their driveways and goodness knows what else blocked on up to two matchdays a week. Where on earth will all the cars park?"

Mick Lyons, who expressed concern at the lack of a Green Travel Plan, added: "This proposal just isn't good enough at present."

The councillors were giving their initial reactions to an early outline plan for the site. Members' views will be fed back to the applicants as they look to work up a full planning application.

What do you think of the plans? Is there a lack of car parking on matchdays? Post your comment in the section below.

* Councillors refused planning permission for a 'garden-grabbing' application to build three detached houses and demolish an existing property at North Lane, Oulton. It was felt the plans were over-intensive for a conservation area site.